Late 14th Century Feast Gear

[jester]

I've been focusing my research in this area for the past few days. My wife and I have been brainstormng ways to obtain durable feast gear that presents a reasonably medieval (1366AD) appearance. We're doing SCA, not living history, so we feel comfortable making compromises that living history folks would choke on. Here's what we have so far, and we would appreciate your suggestions.

We decided, as far as possible, to go with stainless steel. It presents the appearance of polished silver but is very durable and easy to maintain. Wood is wrong and a pain to maintain. Silver is too expensive and requires more maintainence than we are likely to be able to give it. Brass and copper, bad. Ceramic is too darn fragile, particularly with small children.

Beaker cups - We found 7,8,10, and 12 oz stainless steel tumblers at local institutional supply stores. These look reasonably like the beaker cups seen in late 14th Century illustrations. They cost between $4-$10 each depending upon the size.

Cups - My wife made the off-hand comment "Looks like they stole a communion chalice" and the brainstorm hit. Church supply companies carry stainless steel chalices! We haven't found a suitable online supplier, so we plan to spend a few hours perusing catalogs at one of the local retailers. Thus far the suitable ones we have found online have been in the $100-$300 price range, but only as part of a 'traveling communion' kit. We're hoping to find something in the $50 price range.

Plate - Institutional supply, again. Platters (wide brim, deep center) come pretty darn close. They are in the $20-$40 range.

Bowls - Institutional supply again. $20-$40 range.

Flagons - Nothing. We haven't found anything that comes close. A few companies sell small pewter replicas/reproductions, but nothing close to the size depicted in period illustrations.

Costrels - Again, nothing. A company in Europe makes a stainless 'pilgrim's flask' but we want some standing costrels. The shape is sufficiently complex that we may end up going with ceramic.

Knives - We aren't worried about this. Plenty of suppliers to choose from.

Spoons - While there are plenty of suppliers, none are making them in stainless. Institutional supply has been a bomb. We probably just going to bite the bullet and pay for silver from a merchant or possibly purchasing from Replacements, Ltd. (a company that sells replacement china and silver).

Salt Cellar - We haven't seen anything we like yet. We are looking for a boat-shaped cellar.

[Karen Larsdatter]

We decided, as far as possible, to go with stainless steel. It presents the appearance of polished silver but is very durable and easy to maintain. Wood is wrong and a pain to maintain. Silver is too expensive and requires more maintainence than we are likely to be able to give it. Brass and copper, bad. Ceramic is too darn fragile, particularly with small children.

Might I ask -- why not pewter? You can find beakers, spoons, and saltcellars from Billy and Charlie; Millingham carries a wider selection of spoons, and a fancier beaker too. And pewter's a bit more historically accurate than stainless steel, I think.

Salt Cellar - We haven't seen anything we like yet. We are looking for a boat-shaped cellar.

Do you mean a nef? (Nefs aren't necessarily saltcellars, but the Burghley Nef, dated to 1527-1528, is called a saltcellar in the description on the V&A's website.)

There are a few examples of 14th/15th century illustrations of nefs on set tables -- the best example I can think of, where you can actually see what's inside the nef, is the January illustration from the Tres Riches Heures -- you can definitely tell that, at that point, the reason why the nef is much bigger than typical saltcellars is because the nef seems to have been used to contain other dishes, etc. For a 14th century illustration of nefs, see this banquet in honor of Charles IV (BNF FR 2813 fol. 473v). There's some 15th century illustrations on the BNF's Gallica site, too -- look for Tristan de Léonois (BNF FR 100, 101, 102, and 103 -- I've noticed a few illustrations in 101 of set tables with both a saltcellar, or at least a small covered dish which can be assumed to have been a saltcellar, and a nef.)

There are occasional Viking ship saltcellars which come up on eBay, but that's about the closest I've seen to a modern boat-shaped saltcellar meant to look medievallish -- but they're silver or pewter, and not gold or brass (the 14th/15th century nefs seem to mostly be depicted as yellow-metal).

[James B.]

Billie and Charlie aslo have a pewter bowl not on thier site, you have to email them to ask the price. I have a full set of their table gear in pewter it is great.

[jester]

Well, the stainless and the pewter, in my opinion, look substantially the same and the stainless is much cheaper. Consider the plain beaker - tumbler. Billy and Charlie want $45 for the plain beaker. I can buy stainless for $5 and flare the rim, if needed, with 2 minutes worth of hammering to produce something that looks almost exactly the same.

The information on the Nef is much appreciated. It was my understanding that the nef contained a covered bowl within it and the salt was placed in that bowl. Since I'm unlikely to find what I'm looking for, or to need it at any time in the near future, I'll do some more research on this point. Thank you.

We think we have found a nice way to get some chalice's for under $50 a chalice. We found some stainless steel candle holders that approximate some of the bases found in 14-15th Century illustrations. With the top two inches lopped off and a bowl attached we think they will be a reasonable match.

Time to experiment.

[Karen Larsdatter]

Another possibility -- I was just in a Bed Bath & Beyond this evening (getting a wastebin for my now reasonably clean & organized studio/sewing room), and noticed that they have a fairly wide selection of silver-look beakers that aren't too dissimilar to at least the shape of the silver beakers in illustrations & at the Louvre. They had some with a sort of hammered finish for about $3 each -- nicer ones around $10. They're in with the bathroom sets (where one gets matchy-matchy toothbrush holders, soapdishes, wastebaskets, etc.).